With the NFL’s annual league meetings taking place in Orlando, Fla., owners have the opportunity to propose and vote on changes. One of the interesting propositions is the Indianapolis Colts’ recommendation to allow challenging calls in the final two minutes of halves.
However, it doesn’t seem like proposal from the Colts and owner Jim Irsay has gained enough traction.
Word here at NFL owners meetings is the Colts’ proposal to allow reviews of all calls — including penalties — in the final 2 mins of halves has stalled and has minimal traction.
Of note: The origin of the idea stems from an Oct. loss to Cleveland when a PI call decided the game.
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) March 24, 2024
The idea appears to be caused by Indianapolis’ heartbreaking Week 7 loss to the Cleveland Browns.
It was a back-and-forth affair at Lucas Oil Stadium between the protagonists, with the host eventually losing by merely a point. The Colts found themselves on the wrong end of penalties in the game’s final plays.
Leading 38-33 with less than a minute in the fourth quarter, Indianapolis almost sealed the win after Colts linebacker E.J. Speed sacked Browns quarterback P.J. Walker, with DeForest Buckner recovering the ball. Unfortunately for the Colts, illegal contact was called on cornerback Darrell Baker Jr.
Brutal finish for the Colts against the Browns.
E.J. Speed strip sacks P.J. Walker. DeForest Buckner recovers, apparently clinching the game.
But Darrell Baker is penalized for illegal contact, negating the turnover and giving the Browns a first down. pic.twitter.com/hoYe7b1Tea
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) October 22, 2023
Consequently, the ball was given back to Cleveland.
To add insult to injury, Baker was again called for a penalty. Even though Walker’s pass to James Proche already looked uncatchable, the cornerback was still called for pass interference.
Was this ball uncatchable or should it have been pass interference on the Colts? pic.twitter.com/W1VpEuJOUf
— Arye Pulli (@AryePulli) October 22, 2023
The Browns capitalized on the favorable calls by setting up Kareem Hunt for a game-winning one-yard touchdown.
Some fans were incensed at the questionable calls, while there were also those who argued that the officials made the right decisions. As for Irsay, he posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the league admitted its mistakes, out of which emerged his idea to petition to review calls and penalties in the last two minutes of all contests.
“The NFL admits and understands that they did not make the correct calls at end of Sunday’s Colts/Browns Game,” Irsay wrote. “I believe we need to institute Instant Replay for all calls, including Penalties, in the last two minutes of All Games.”
It’s unclear how the Colts’ Week 7 loss impacted their season in the bigger picture.
They ended the regular season with a 9-8 record, just one game behind the Houston Texans, who clinched the division. But even if Indianapolis had tied the Texans in the standings, it still would have lost the division due to its rival’s better divisional record.
The Colts have missed the playoffs for three straight seasons.
